Pierre manhes



' UNTTED STATES ATENT Trice,

PIERRE MANI IES, OF LYONS, FRANCE.

PROCESS OF TREATING COPPER MATTE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 470,384, dated March 8,1892. Application filed April 27, 1883. Serial No. 98,228. (Nospecimens.) Patented in France March 26, 1880, No. 124,124.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PIERRE MANHES, of the city of Lyons, in the Republicof France, have invented a new Process of Treating Copper Matte andother Cupreous Matters for Obtaining Metallic Copper, (for which I havere ceived Letters Patent in France, No. 124,124,, dated March 26, 1880,)of which the following is a specification.

Taken, as example, the treatment of sulphuret copper ores, an operationis as follows: Without any preparatory roasting being necessary the oreis submitted to a simple crude melting, which may be executed in ameltingfurnace of any kind, but preferably in a eupola-furnace. Thismelting has for its object to eliminate the earthy gangues by theformation of a slag and to concentrate the metallic portions into amatte more or less rich in copper always ferreous and highlysulphureted. The liquid matte is taken direct from the melting-furnaceto the converter, which has been previously heated to a sufficienttemperature. This converter is provided with lateral tuyeres at somedistance above the bottom. In passing through the molten matte in theconverter the air-blast quickly produces a great elevation oftemperature by reason of the combustion first of the sulphur, then ofthe iron, and the other metals more oxidizable than copper. The sulphuris eliminated by a violent disengagement of sulphureous acid, and it isthe same with the other volatile substances, arsenic, antimony, (be. Theiron rapidlyburned' and oxidized is transformed into a silicate by thecontact with the earthy matters, which form the lining of the converterunless silicious fluxes are introduced, and there results from itscoria, which rises to the surface of the molten metal and which isremoved by the ordinary means. The operation lasts but a very short timeand the product is rough copper, which only requires to be subjected tothe ordinary refining process. It is ascertained when the operation iscompleted when the sulphurous vapors have almost entirely disappearedand when a sample taken from the converter shows that the rough copperissufficiently purified to be refined without difficulty. After havingremoved the scoria the rough copper is poured either into molds orpatents granted to me, as showing the pro gress of my improvements inthe treatment of copper matte, and as showing features of my inventionwhich have led to the present improvement Letters Patent of France, No.135,792, deposited March 26, 1880, and additions to the same, depositedMay 31, 1880, October 23, 1880, and February 9, 1882; Austria-I-Iungary, No. 7,005 and No. 39,787, dated No. vember 5, 1881, and No.37,465 and No. 48,602, dated January 4, 1882; Spain, No. 1,135, datedAugust 31, 1880; German Empire, No. 15,562, dated October 25, 1881, andGreat Britain, No. 3,181, dated August 3, 1880.

My invention relates to the treatment of copper matte to producedirectly in a single operation, rapid and almost costless, the transformation of this matte into rough metallic copper. My process has not,then; for its object to produce the matte itself, and it should be wellunderstood that I reserve to myself the right to employ for theproduction of the cuprcous matte any system of smelting actually in usefor the treatment of ores.

I have said in the preceding description that the operation which is thesubject of my invention may be performed in any appropriate furnaceorapparatus whatever, but by preference in the Bessemer converter havinglateral tuyeres above the bottom. This apparatus is in effect that inwhich the operation proceeds the best and in which it is made with themost facility. The scoria of the converter being always very rich inoxide of iron may be employed advantageously as dues in the fusion ofores and other material of quartzose character.

Another advantage of my process is to be enabled to obtain copper ofvery good quality,

too

even from material which by ordinary processes give but veryinferiorcopper as, for example, gray coppers or arsenious or antimonious matte.The very high heat and the very energetic oxidizing action produced inthe converter are eminently favorable to the elimination of arsenicandantimony. When mattes containingalarge quantity of iron are treated, thescoria produced will have a very energetic corrosive action on theearthy lining of the converter, which would thus be so rapidly destroyedthat serious accidents might result from it. It is Well, then, in thiscase to make the interior lining of the converter of a basic matter aslime or magnesia; but then there should be added to the matte in theconverter a suitable proportion of a silicious flux which may scorifythe oxides produced.

Although, as has been already stated, the operation which constitutes myprocess is complete when the treatment of the matte is terminated, theconverter contains nothing more than rough copper suitable to be refinedby ordinary processes. Experience has taught me that the operation maybe continued further, and that there may be thus obtained not only roughcopper, but also refined copper malleable like the product of theordinary refinery. I may, then, bya single rapid and inexpensiveoperation obtain the transformation of the cupreous matte into refinedcopper ready to be wrought, rolled, or hammered. v

For the above purpose I operate as follows: hen the operation describedarrives at its last period-that is to say, when the cupreous matte istransformed into rough copperthe converter is inclined, the supernatantscoria are poured off from the metal or removed by a rabble, and whenthe surface of the copper is uncovered a sample is taken by a smallladle and broken to examine by its fracture its chemical composition. Ifthe fracture be purple-red and of large grain, indicating that thecopper contains a certain portion of protoxide, one may be certain ofthe complete elimination of foreign matters, and itonly remains toproceed to the reduction of the protoxide, as will be hereinafterexplained. If, on the contrary, the metal does not present theindications of pure copper, it must be submitted to a further oxidationto bring it to the desired degree of purity. For that the blast of airis again turned onto the converter, which is returned to the Verticalposition. The progress of the oxidation is tested by taking samples, anda few minutes suffice to deprive the copper of its last impurities.

It may happen that the last foreign matters remaining to be eliminatedmay not be of such nature that they will feed the-intermolecularcombustion, without which the copper congeals immediately on the contactof the blast. To prevent that, I introduce into the converter a smallquantity of sulphur in powder, causing it to enter with the blast.

This sulphur burning in the mass of metal suffices to maintain thenecessary heat. It is eliminated in the state of a sulphurous acid anddoes not impede, sensibly, the oxida tion of the other metallicsubstances, the oxygen of the air being always in great excess. I havetried, also, the employment of charcoal powder to sustain thecombustion, and

that gives good results; but the sulphur is to' be preferred because ofthe reductive action which carbon always produces. The copper beingsufficiently purified, nothing remains to be done but to give itmalleability by reducing the protoxide with which it is impregnated. Forthat, after having again skimmed it,I throw into the mouth of theconverter several shovelfuls of wood-charcoal in small pieces to coverthe metal, and then introduce by the blast into the converter powderedwood charcoal in sufficient quantity. This charcoal not only exercisesan energetic reductive action; but it serves, also, to elevate considerably the temperature, which is necessary, in order that the copper maymaintain sufficient heat to the end of the running out. During thecourse of this reduction samples are taken. \Vhen the reduction isnotably advanced. and without being yet malleable, the copper commencesto take a closer grain and a paler color, the converter is returned tothe horizontal position, the blast is stopped, and then the refining isfinished as in an ordinary furnace by means of a pole of green wood.This last operation is not long and the copper easily maintains its heatduring the necessary time. When the copper is completely refined, theconverter is inclined to pour it out either directly into theingot-molds or into ladles or other receptacles, from which it isafterward distributed to the ingot-molds.

I am aware that copper ore and fuel have been introduced into a furnacesimilar to a blast-furnace in which it has been sought to,

melt the copper and allow it to run down upon the hearth. In thisoperation the ore is not submitted to the melting or preliminarypreparation necessary to convert the sulphurets of copper into matte.

My improved process is adapted to the treatment of melted copper matte,because all sulphurets require to be converted into the matte beforethey can be treated by any process.

Iam aware that converters of various kinds have been made use of inwhich a blast of air, either hot or cold, has been forced up throughmelted iron for the purpose of burning out impurities and reducing theamount of carbon in the iron, and that in these converters the air-inletpipes or tuyeres have been introduced vertically through the bottom andalso horizontally at or near the bottom.

I am also aware that efforts have been made to separate from copper oreor matte impurities by the action of a blast of air in a convertersimilar to that known as the Bessemer converter, with tuyeres passing inat the bottom.

In all the efforts heretofore put forth to separate foreign substancesfrom copper matte the mode of operation pursued has been similar to thatemployed in treating iron-namely,

to force the atmosphere through the entire mass, including both thematte and copper, as it is separated from the matte. In practice it wasfound that the copper became chilled and the desired object wasdefeated. Eiforts were then made to remedy this diificulty by the use ofa hot blast, but without success.

I have discovered that the mode of operation required in the treatmentof copper is radically different from that in the treatment ofcast-iron, and that'in the treatment of copper matte for the productionof metallic copper it is necessary to prevent the atmosphere acting onthe metallic copper as much as possible and to confine the action of theatmosphere to the matte which contains the impurities. Thereby I able toconsume and volatilize the impurities and to melt and separate thecopper and prevent the atmosphere chilling or oxidizing the same. Incast-iron there is a large proportion of iron, about ninety-five percent. or more, and a very small amount of impurities, about five percent. and less. Throughout the entire process of converting cast-iron byforcing air through the molten mass it remains homogeneous, and theoxidation of the carbon and other impurities furnishes sufficient heatto keep the iron melted and the blast is necessarily made to penetrateevery portion of the liquid metal. As the impurities amount to less thanfive per cent. of the original weight of the crude iron, its volume isnot essentially diminished by the converting process, and the height ofthe melted iron in the converter remains nearly the same at theconclusion of the process that it was at its commencement. Theconditions in the treatment of copper matte are entirely different. Anaverage copper matte contains, say, fifty per cent. of copper and fiftyper cent. of impurities. The object of the present invention is toremove the impurities. As the air is blown into the molten matte thesulphur passes off in the shape of gas and the iron and other metalsform a slag which is easily removed from the surface, while the copperas it is set free from its impurities descends drop by drop to thebottom of the converter and below the holes through which theblastenters, so that it remains in a comparatively quiescent condition,forming a metallic bath which supports the remainder of the unconvertedmatte, and which is still subjected to the action of the blast. Thepoint essential to the success of the process, and which has hithertobeen entirely overlooked, is that as soon as the metallic copper isformed it must be allowed to subside below the action of the blast, andthus separate into two layers, a lower one of copper and an upper one ofmatte, the lower one increasing and the upper one diminishing as theprocess advances, until finally almost all the matte is changed intometallic copper and has subsided below the level of the blast.

I am aware that copperhas been treated in a Bessemer converter, and thatilluminatinggas has been blown into the same for the reduction of anyoxide of copper., I am also aware that copper matte has been treated ina double converter with aconnecting-passage having air-inlet tuyeres atvarious heights.

It is to be understood that the amount of the charge introduced into theconverter will depend upon the proportion of copper contained in thematte and the height of the tuyeres from the bottom of the converter.For instance, if the matte contains thirty per cent. of copper and thetreatment in the con verter results in copperwith five per cent.impurities, the volume of the matte introduced into the converter willbe about three times the contents of such converter below the tuyeres.The workman has also to allow for the increase of size in the bottom ofthe converter by the lining being melted from time to time and combiningwith the slag.

I am aware that in Patent No. 184,988 to E. E. Sluder the ore wassubjected to a melting operation and that the copper sunk intoa bathbelow the slag and below the tuyeres. In this case the ore is reducedand the metal separated to a certain extent, the same as in any ordinarycupola. No provision is made for the removal of impurities from thecopper itself. In my process the bulk of the impurities in the ore isremoved in the smelting operation, and the converter is used only for asecond operation-viz., the removal of impurities from the copper in thecondition of melted matte.

I am also aware that in the English Patent No. 4,549, of 1878, ofHolloway, is set forth the addition of sulphides to a bath of moltensulphites to promote the heat, and these operations are proposed to bedone in a converter; but in consequence of the bulk of the slag and oreand the difficulty of separating the same from the copper while exposedto the action of the blast this plan has not been practically andcommercially employed. By supplying the melted matte into the converterand sub jeeting the same to the action of air -blasts blown in above thebottom on which the copper accumulates the charge can be finished byburning out the desired proportion of impurities from the copper, andthe operation can be performed with the rapidity and facility necessaryto make it a commercial success.

I am also aware that in English Patent to Tessie du Motay, No. 1,750, of1870, silica is set forth as added to a charge of copper matte.

I claim as my invention- 1. The process of reducing commercial ormetallic copper from copper ore, consisting in smelting the ore by theaid of extraneous fuel and producing copper matte, charging the matte ina molten condition into a converter, forcing jets of air through themolten matte and maintaining it in a molten condition and at the propertemperature by the heat generated by the combustion of the sulphur andnon in the matte, continuing the operation until the sulphur and ironhave been separated from the metallic copper, and allowing the latter tosettle below action of the airjets, substantially as set forth.

2. The process of reducing commercial or pig-copper from copper matte,consisting in charging the matte in amolten condition into a converter,forcing jets of air through the molten matte and maintaining it in amolten state and at the proper temperature by the heat produced by thecombustion of the sulphur and iron in the matte, and continuing theoperation until the sulphur and iron have been separated from themetallic copper and the latter has settled below the action of theair-jets, substantially as set forth.

The process of reducing commercial or pig-copper from copper matte,consisting in charging the matte in a molten state into a converter,forcing jets of air uniformly throughout the charge of molten matte, and

causing the heat produced by the combustion of the sulphur and iron inthe matte to separate the sulphur and iron from the metallic copper andallowing the latter as it is sepav ally and allowing the copper tosubside into the portion of the converter below the airblasts,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftWo subscrib ing Witnesses.

PIERRE MANIIES.

Witnesses:

LoUIs BAOHELER, J. P. A. MARTIN.

impurities by blasts of air introduced later-

